By Thomas Lee

“I’m not trying to turn it into a business,” said Feldkamp, 36. “We’re doing something that we really like doing. I definitely thought about ways to expand though: a cookbook, cooking classes. It’s definitely something I’m serious about.”

Every month or so, the couple, who both work in tech, host a private dinner for 12 mostly strangers at their home in Dogpatch. They develop the menu, prepare the food and select the wine. For $120 per person (mostly to cover costs), guests enjoy a home-cooked six-course meal and a few hours of conversation from a pair of locals well versed in San Francisco’s tech and food culture.

The popularity of the Hearsay Supper Club has also attracted the notice of Airbnb. The vacation rental company is testing a concept tentatively called Journeys, in which people can book a trip to San Francisco filled with tours and events organized by ordinary folks like Feldkamp and Diephouse. The couple has hosted two such Airbnb dinners since August.

"We are always experimenting with new ways to create meaningful experiences on Airbnb,” the company said in an e-mail. “We don’t have anything specific to share at this time.”

When Feldkamp met Diephouse at a bar eight years ago, the two techies first developed a friendship based on their mutual — some might even say obsessive — love of tasting menus.

Diephouse first got an idea for Hearsay Supper Club after attending an “underground dinner” in Paris. Such events, also popular in major cities like London, Berlin and New York, were mostly pop-up places run by a chefs hoping to test a concept before opening a restaurant.

By their own admission, Feldkamp and Diephouse are amateur chefs who only hope the meals reflect their passion and knowledge of the culinary arts.

“We both love cooking and do dinner parties,” Feldkamp said. “We’re not industry people. We’re just people who want to meet other people who care as much about food and wine as we do.”

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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Jeanne Feldkamp preparing flowers for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers in their home for around $120 with a constantly changing menu. less

Jeanne Feldkamp preparing flowers for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers in their home for around ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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Mandarin and Gold, surrounded by decorative stones and flora, created to cleanse the palate between courses, being prepared at the he Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015.

Mandarin and Gold, surrounded by decorative stones and flora, created to cleanse the palate between courses, being prepared at the he Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015.

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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Jeanne Feldkamp preparing the holiday themed, 6 course menu for the 12 guest, Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015. To the bottom left are bowls with decorative stones and flowers that will be used later in-between courses. less

Jeanne Feldkamp preparing the holiday themed, 6 course menu for the 12 guest, Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015. To the bottom left are bowls with decorative stones and flowers that will be used later ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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With the Dutch tradition of an open door, guests are laughing, talking and enjoying their meals at the Hearsay Supper Club in the home of Jeanne and Dan Feldkamp on November 21, 2015. The 6-course, 12-person dinner is considered a friendly, intimate culinary adventure filled with aromas of spice, sounds of laughter and twist of modern unique to the experience. less

With the Dutch tradition of an open door, guests are laughing, talking and enjoying their meals at the Hearsay Supper Club in the home of Jeanne and Dan Feldkamp on November 21, 2015. The 6-course, 12-person ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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Dan Feldkamp preparing the garnish on the brisket that will be served during the 6-course dinner he will co-host for the Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers in their home for around $120 with a constantly changing menu. less

Dan Feldkamp preparing the garnish on the brisket that will be served during the 6-course dinner he will co-host for the Hearsay Supper Club on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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From left, Jeanne Feldkamp and her husband Dan, start to prep for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers in their home for around $120 with a constantly changing menu. less

From left, Jeanne Feldkamp and her husband Dan, start to prep for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

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From left, Jeanne Feldkamp and her husband Dan, start to prep for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers in their home for around $120 with a constantly changing menu. less

From left, Jeanne Feldkamp and her husband Dan, start to prep for the Hearsay Supper Club 6-course dinner they will host for the evening on November 21, 2015. A 12-person, usually themed, dinner for strangers ... more

Photo: Franchon Smith, The Chronicle

S.F. couple’s elite supper club captures Airbnb’s attention

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But Hearsay Supper Club reminded me of something futurist Ray Kurzweil recently told a group of business executives at Singularity University in Mountain View: In the future, technology will provide everyone with basic needs like food and housing so that people will only pursue jobs they really care about, said Kurzweil, who serves as Google’s director of engineering.

Kurzweil’s prediction is debatable. But in some ways, Hearsay Supper Club reflects this vision.

Diephouse still works full time as a product manager for a tech firm. Last year, Feldkamp quit her position as vice president of marketing at Famo.us, partly because the demands of the job prevented her from pursuing Hearsay Supper Club.

Some tech jobs lack personal interaction, she said. So in the true entrepreneurial spirit of the Bay Area, Feldkamp launched something that falls somewhere between a hobby and a startup.

“I don’t know many people who have a job dealing with people, while on the side they write an app,” she said. “It’s important for people to have those ways of connecting with other people that you don’t get now.”

Airbnb clearly thinks Feldkamp and Diephouse are onto something. In August, two top executives attended their Journeys dinner.

“One of things we talked about at the dinner is when do you want to do an experience” like Hearsay, Feldkamp said. “When Dan and I visited Japan, we had a great time, but it felt like we only scratched the surface. We wanted a more local view rather than a commercial tour. If there was a way to guarantee that the trip wouldn’t be a manufactured experience, we would totally do it.”